Bucket for dredgers.



No. 883,635. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908.

G. FRANCIS.

BUCKET FOR DREDGERS.

APPLIOATION TILED BEPT.13. 190s. RENEWED AUG. 16, 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WIiNESSES:

No. 883,635.- PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908.

G. FRANCIS. BUCKET FOR DREDGBRS.

APPLICATION FILED BEPT .13, 1906. RENEWED AUG. 16, 1907.

'5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 883,685. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908.

- G. FRANCIS.

BUCKET FOR DREDGERS;

W1 TNESSES:

WMMM. g O. W

[NVENTOR i No. 883,636. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908. G. FRANCIS.

BUCKET FOR DREDGERS.

APPLIUATI'ON FILED SBPT.13. 190a. RENEWED AUG. 16, 1907.

Y Y 6BHEETS SHEBT 4.

Illllllln 'WJTNESSES: INVENTOR M/MMM. V v $5M A 1 r Aztomeya.

N0. 883,635. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908. G. FRANGIS.

BUCKET FOR DREDGERS. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.13, 1906. RENEWED AUG. 16, 1907.

' ESHEETS-SHEET 5.

llllllllllllnll full, clear, and exact descripktion of the inven UNITED STAIlFiS P'IENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FRANCIS, OF CHELSEA, MASS ACHUSETTS.

BUCKET FOB DREDGERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. March 31, 1968.

Application filed September 13, 1906, Serial No. 384,474. Zltenewed August 16,1907. Serial No. 388,866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANo s, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea,'in the county of Suffolk, State of Massa;

chusetts, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Buckets for Dredgers; and I o hereby declare the following to be a tion, suchas will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertain's to make and use the same. v

My improvements, bein in the line of power shoveling and dre ging ap aratus, ma be embodied in a machine of t at genera class, of any suitable size and form.

The invention consists of improvements I that, for the most part, relate to the bucket and its cognate parts or means cooperating therewith, the bucketor shovel in my invention being provided with movable cutters, diggers, hoes,- or means, having similar functions, forcutting or in any way digging out the earth or other material designed to be excavated in advance of the bucket, and fillthe intervention of the bucket itself.

ing the same, or getting it into readiness to be filled into v In providing my improvements, I have, 'in

the bucket.

eneral, discarded the lip or cutter on the tront u per edge of the bucket, which lip or cutter as heretofore been o'peratedfthrough movable'cutters, hoes, or diggers, while being mounted on the bucket, and movable therea with are operated fromthe engine or other ower and not through the medium of the ucket.

While the invention. is not confined to any particular form of means the dredging apparatus shown in the annexed drawings w' serve to show and explain the nature of the I invention, in view of which said drawings it will befirst described in detail, with respect to its construction and mode'of operation, I

and. then be pointed out in the su'bjoined claims.

Of-the saiddrawin s -Fi'gure 1 is a side In im rovements.

2 is a side elevation of the' ucket. Fig.3 IS a front elevation of the bucket. Fig, 4 is a side elevationv showing thegmo'dification of the invention. -'Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the structure'shown in'Fi 4. Fi'gflfi is a side elevationshowing a'tlurd-form of-the in- 'vent'ion. 'Fig':'. 7 is afront'elevation-of the v .a curved line from their inner an y ovel or dredging p Fig. I

trom'beingaccidentally ('1 structure shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation partly in section showing the sheave carried by the bucket. Fig. 9 is a front view of'the structure shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the cutters.

Similar numerals of reference designate similar parts or features; as the case may be, Wherever they occur.

In carrying out my invention I support the bucket 10 on the end of the i per handle 11 in any known or suitable and efiicien't way. The bucket is substantially made in order. that it may endure the strain and force put upon it in its operations. Instead of providing the bucket on its upper front edge with a lip or cutter to displacethe dirt or material operated upon and oad it into the bucket by operating the latter throu h the interven tion of the dipper handle, 0on1, and other means, I- provide the front portion .Of the,

bucket with movable cutters or *di gers which operate partially in front and a ove the bucket and cut or dig away the dirt or material bein 0 erated upon and load it,

, or adapt it to he oaded into the bucket. In

the present case the said cutters or diggers may consist of'two rotary devices, 12, each having four blades, 13 "formed of solid cast steel, the edges of the said blades ta ering on v meeting ends to their outer ends and having a square hole 14 formed through their longitudinal center for the reception of the square portion of their operating shaft 15, that extends through them, the projectingends of the said appear.

, shaft, which 0 erates as trunnions. or journals the cutters Z13 cat 19, so-dis osed that theirl lower-points extend below t e said pulley while the olpposing side pointsare-on opposite sides oft e axis of the pulley. Between "each of the points of "the guide-plates there is ijournaled a guard spool 22, j at such chain 20 as not to-interfere with its functions,

but at the same time keeping -thewsaid chain I splace'd ontheis'aid sheave .1'9.

The immediate supportsiiorfl're distance fromthe' no a or diggers 12, as well as t guard-plates 21 is the shaft 15, which is rounded where they are hung so as to not turn them with it.

The ends of the cutter to the power sheave have a web 23 extending therefrom to the base at the back of th next adjacent blade, as shown the breakage of the saidpoints.

The bucket, as here shown, 'is made higher in the rear than in the front, for reasons which will appear obvious, and as already indicated, the bucket is provided with a bail which steadies it in its operations, and to which the hoisting chain :20 is attached.

The bucket is provided on each side in front, with heavy castings, :25, bolted to the sides of the bucket, and having 'lugs .26 formed therewith at their upper edges which lugs are supported by braces 27 also forming a part of the castings. A round hole is blades 13 adjacent to guard against ing with hawse-pipe for backin -chain 44 49, swinging chains for turn tab e; 50, swingdrum and engines to turn or swing the turntable and boom' and 51 the main drum and engines used to oist the bucket and dip erhandle, the hoisting chain being woun on the drum and contrived to operate the cutters or diggers 12 as it hoists, a-friction belt backing-chain by its drum actua or other friction-governin means, allowing the drum to unwind the c lain, lowering the boom and the dredge-bucket, haulin in the tec? by its engine, thusbringing the bucket and di per- I handle in vertical position, and in readiness to be operated to attack the bank and load 5 the bucket, 52 is the dredge-hull; 53 indiformed through the bucket, castings, lug and i bail at one end, and is passed overhead and over sheave on the end of the boom back under the power sheave between the cutters and again u over a second head sheave through the leac sheaves on the boom and turn-table to the drum of the hoisting engine.

In order to more clearly understand the connect-ion of the hoisting chain of the bucket and the wild cat for o crating the cutters 1e means for operatin the dipper-handle 11, the boom and all of t is arts of a dredge-hull remotely related to the bucket, reference may be had to Fig. 1. In referring to the not be undertaken to do more than to merely catalogue them, since their construction, functionsand relationship one to another will be understood by those skilled in inner face 0 the art by their bare enumeration. 1 1 designates the dipper-handle; 31, the boom; 1 0 the bucket (hard-pan dredge pattern); 5, hail of the bucket; ZOfhOiStmg-chairi; 33, head' sheaves; 34,'hoisting-chain lead sheaves; 35, turn-table guide-sheaves; 36, friction-wheel of craning ri pinion (not-shown) on the shaft of t e fric tion wheel 36, and Withthe aid of the frictionbelt 37 and brakehold the dipper-hand1ev11 in any desired position; 39, brake-1ever; 40, head-casting with revolving cap for a yoke; 42, back guys for frame 43; 44 backingchain that-is operated by a pair 46, turn-table; 47, foot-board; 48, how cast- 37,friction-belt; 38, rack on; dipper-handle that en a es a enginesand one. drum independently;-

by dotted lines in Fig.

'movable indep cates water and 54 the bank of material to be dredged or excavated.

Instead of making the blades of .the cutters continuous from end to end, the may be notched so as to constitute teeth as indicated 13. By employing cutters or diggers that are endent of the bucket, as I have described it IS made im ossiblc to stall the excavator in a heavy bank of earth since each device cuts out its whole length of the material being operated upon, besides this it works. very much more rapidly, the bucket being filled in a very materially shorter time, no matter what the character ofthe. material may be that is operated upon, than by machines of existing construction.

The invention is operate upon hard clay of yellow, blue or conglomerate character as Well as upon black sand and similar substances where it is difficult to simply $0001) 11 or dig into the mate? rial to be acted upon the shovel itself.

Of course, theinvention is not limited to use upon thev substances named since it may loose small rocky earth mold that does not contain rocks too large to be taken into the shovel.

It will not require any more power with the invention shown and described on hard pan digging than upon an ordinary scoop bucket when the latter is operated upon ordinary soft-clay. By using my invention instead of those now commonly employed, the

' engine, boom, and dipper handle are relieved of a great deal of energy and strain.

It is to be noted that in all instances the movable means for cutting, diggi or excavating the material in advance of iie bucket and loading it into the latter are mounted upon and carried by the bucket, though actuated in the excavating operation by means independent of the bucket, as shown. This is to be kept in of the invention.

As has already been set forth, I recognize the fact thatchanges may be madein the particularly adapted to' y force exerted upon" mind as an important-feature form and arrangement of parts and features I of the machine shown as embodying from its general nature or spirit.

I provide What is claimed, is;i 7

1; A ower-dredge or excavating bucket with means mounted thereon and movable independent of the bucket, and adapted to operate on the substance to be acted upon and disengage or loosen a portion of the said substance to enable it to be loaded into the bucket.

2. A ower-dredge or excavating bucket rovide with means mounted 'on its u per orward end and movable independentp the bucket and adapted to operate on the sub stance to be acted upon and disengage or loosen a portion of the said substance to en'- able it to be loaded into the bucket.

- 3. A ower-dredge or' excavating bucket rovide with means mounted on its upper orward end and in advance of said end and .movable independent of -the bucket and adapted to operate on the substance to be acted upon and disengage or loosen a portion the substance to be removed andload it into provide the bucket. ,r I v 6. A ower dredge or excavating bucket provide witha rotary cutter mounted-on the bucket and extendingpartially *in ad: vance of the latter to cutaway the substance to be removed and transfer it'to the bucket.

7. A ower dredge or excavating bucket with-a pairof rotary hutterslmounted on the bucket and extending partially in advance of the latter to cut away the substance to be removed and transfer it to the bucket.

8. A power dredge or excavating bucket provided with a pair of rotary cutters mount ed on the bucket and means between the cutters for separating them.

9. A owerdredge or excavating bucket provided with rotary devices mounted thereon andadapted for cutting or digging away the" dirt in advance of and partly above the bucket. v

10. A power dredge or excavating bucket provided with rotary devices mounted thereon and constructed and arranged to cut or dig awathe dirt in advance of and partly the latter.

tin or digging away the dirt in advance of an above the bucket, and meansint'ermediate of said devices for rotating them.

12. A dredge bucket provided on its sides with strengthening castings riveted thereto and having lug bearings at their upper ends,

and a hoisting bail connected with-said bear? mgs.

13 A'power excavating bucket, provided with cutters or diggers adapted to o erate in front of the bucket, a shaft upon w 'ch" said cutters ordiggers are.mo1 1nted,"me ans on said shaft for operating the said cutters or diggers, combined with castings secured to the sides of the bucket and having lug bearings at .its upper end through which the said shaft is extended, and a hoisting bail strapped to said shaft. In testimony whereof, I affix my signature,

, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE FRANCIS. ,Witness'es:

OHARLEs H. PEASE, "finoneli T. Jones;

7 60 above t e bucket and load the former into 5 

